


The Healing Heart Fixes the Cracked Crown

by GlitchyPix



Series: Patton in a Bad Place [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series) - Fandom, Thomas Sanders (Video Blogging RPF) - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Follow Up from There Are Voices In My Head (Not The Normal Kind Either), Gen, Hugging, Patton's doing fine, Roman's POV, Roman's the one with issues this time, Self-Worth Issues, third person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-16 18:54:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14171337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitchyPix/pseuds/GlitchyPix
Summary: “Patton, do you maybe need any help with anything today?”“Actually, I do need something,""What is it you require?”"I want to talk to you,"Roman is feeling bad about how he treated Patton the other day and feels the need to apologise and make it up to him. However, Patton's actually doing pretty well and not suffering for once which leaves Roman to wonder if he's truly a prince or if he's maybe not so gallant as he once thought he was. However, if Patton is one thing, it's observant and so when he notices the prince's breaking crown, he asks the prince to do a big favour for him. And what is that favour you may ask? To let the healing heart fix the cracked crown





	The Healing Heart Fixes the Cracked Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this one's the actual one this time. Sorry for fooling you before but hey, April Fools is serious business! Anywho, thought I should mention, you should probably read Cookie Crumbs and Tears and There are Voices in my head (Not the Normal Kind Either) before you read this one, they're kinda the prequels

Roman wasn’t sure what had initially brought him to Patton’s door.

The princely side was currently gazing at the pastel blue door, the crayon drawings and stickers covering the wooden surface with a rainbow of smiley faces and hearts. To the unfamiliar observer, the door would appear to lead to the bedroom of a small child. That is until said observer noted the chipped and worn paintwork, the tattered and torn stickers, the smudges left from the newer drawings and the fading older drawings. This door was over two decades old, nearly three, and had the same design since its creation, the only changes coming in the form of crayon art added. Roman would forever admire the innocence behind that door, the sweet man who’d designed the door all himself. He’d also forever kick himself for hurting said man like he did the other day. However, it wasn’t like Roman hadn’t apologised. He’d immediately apologised after Patton had explained why Virgil nearly beat the everloving heck out of Logan and he later came to Patton that day to give him an apology cupcake (that he totally made and didn’t conjure out of his imagination because he’s bad at baking and stop smirking Virgil-).

So why did he still feel the need that he had to help Patton?

Maybe it was because he saw Logan and Patton talking their whole situation out and it made him feel bad for just giving a flimsy apology and a pitiful cupcake. Virgil certainly seemed to agree that Roman didn’t exactly give the best apology in the world but, then again, Virgil also has weirdly high standards for anything that doesn’t involve himself. Of course, then again, Virgil clearly also has self-esteem issues that Roman really wants to help him with that actually, it wasn’t healthy and that distinct lack of self-esteem always worried Roman since- wait, this is getting really off topic. Roman was in front of Patton’s door. He felt that he hadn’t given Patton a proper apology. He was going to give him one (and he wasn’t going to go off-track with his thoughts again. He can work on this, Virgil told him he could and- no, wait).

Roman rapped his knuckles against the child-like door.

Patton was quick to open it, greeting Roman with an innocent grin and allowing him inside the room before seating himself down on a cluttered sofa. Patton was quick to ask what business Roman had inside his room which caused said prince to pause. Truly, he was just there to make it up to Patton for the other day but was it truly wise to tell him that? No, Roman knew the art of flowery language and distracting oblivious- I mean dancing around questions- wait, that doesn’t sound better. Ok, so Roman wasn’t entirely pure but who was? Well, apart from Patton...this is getting worse- Ok, Roman was just going to ask Patton if he had anything he wanted help with.

“Patton, do you maybe need any help with anything today?”

“Nope, I’m actually feeling really good today. Plus, Logan said he’d handle my chores for the day as a sorry for how he acted the other day!”

Darn it Logan- I mean, how sweet of him.

“Nothing? You can’t think of anything I can do to help?”

There was a pause. Maybe-

“Nope. I’m completely fine today, Logan’s doing my chores and I had a snack five minutes ago so I’m not hungry so I’m good,”

Roman felt defeated and a little upset. Sure, it was great that Patton wasn’t suffering with anything and Roman was genuinely happy for the guy, he’s been through a lot these past two days, he deserves a break from it. It’s just a little upsetting that he didn’t need any help with anything. As in anything at all. He was absolutely covered and needed no assistance with anything at all. That part upset Roman a little. Patton was fine and dandy, Roman wasn’t needed. In fact, he was probably being more of a bother by annoying poor Patton with requests for help that he didn’t need.

Roman gave a little sigh and was ready to walk out of the room.

“Wait!”

Roman paused mid-walk, turning to look at Patton.

“Actually, I do need something!”

Roman grinned. “You do?!”

“Yep,”

“So, what is it you require?” Roman never thought the prospect of being put to work to do something for another could really ever excite him this much.

“I want to talk to you,”

Roman’s grin faltered a bit from surprise. That’s an odd request. Patton could literally make Roman do anything for him and he asks to talk with him? Well, Logan did basically do the same thing but, then again, Logan was also cuddling with Patton after their chat. Plus, Patton had some baggage then apparently if what Roman had eavesdropped on- I mean what he’d heard from Logan later that day had been correct. Patton today seems rather chipper today, by comparison, nothing majorly wrong or off. Or, at least, nothing Roman could detect. However, Roman wasn’t in any position to complain so he decided to sit beside Patton, gently moving an old plush toy, one of Thomas’s old phones and the smell of Christmas in a box to the side.

“So, what is it you want to speak to me of? Are you maybe going through something? Maybe there’s a secret you wish to confide in me with. Whatever it is, dear Patton, I will listen,” Roman decided to start off their conversation, hoping that this could warm Patton up to talking about whatever it is he wanted to talk about. Maybe he really was in some form of distress and just refused to acknowledge it before, that was a common practice with Patton after all.

“Well, you’ve seem kinda down and I was wondering if I could maybe help with that,”

Or not.

Darn it! This wasn’t what Roman wanted! Roman was supposed to be the Prince Charming, always the one helping those who need help! Yet here he is, not helping, not providing any form of comfort, nothing! In fact, he was the one in need of help! Roman didn’t want to be the one who needed the help! He’s supposed to be the prince, he’s supposed to save the day in the end!

So why hasn’t he ever saved the day?

In fact, Roman kind of causes more problems than he fixes, one look at what happened with Virgil back in July could tell you that. He’s generally been on the problematic scale of things as of late, putting Thomas’s wants before others and their wants, directly forcing Virgil to endure what Roman can only assume was a panic attack because he wanted Thomas to get back together with an old flame, emploring Thomas to lie to his friends because they might get angry plus the senseless amount of nicknames he’s given Virgil that were less than kind. He’s done nothing but cause more problems for everyone around him.

And he was supposed to be Prince Charming.

“Hey, kiddo, what’s wrong?” Roman was, admittedly, easier to read than an open book sometimes, he was usually quiet if he was incredibly distressed. It was obvious the large pause of silence would clue Patton into the fact that Roman wasn’t feeling great. Roman should’ve expected the question and he kinda did.

He wasn’t expecting his response to it to be him bawling his eyes out.

Roman could quickly recognise Patton’s arms wrapping around him as his sobbed, and sob he did. It was ugly, a mixture of snot and tears running down his face with him making no real effort to stop it. Roman has quickly learnt that his tactic of holding his insecurities in with no relief just kinda lead to massive bouts of emotional outbursts like a dam that slowly became overfilled with water before breaking. He tried to tell Patton the problem but...well, have you ever had a really harsh cry? You’re wailing and upset and, even if you can manage to stop the sobbing, you’re also hyperventilating and stuttering like crazy! Or maybe that was just how Roman cried. Either way, he was having a lot of difficulty saying words. Thankfully, Patton understood completely and was gently rubbing his hands up and down Roman’s shoulders in a soothing manner. Roman has to admit, it did help with calming him down.

“Sh, sh, sh. It’s ok, you’re alright. You wanna maybe tell me what’s bothering you, buddy?” Patton’s voice was gentle and sweet, it was a calm voice and one usually directed towards Virgil. Roman wasn’t usually the one to receive that sort of tone, he prided himself on his princely persona and part of that was bravery which meant he wasn’t supposed to cry, but, then again, it seems that his princely persona was more of a play of pretend than a true part of him.

Roman took a while but he eventually managed to finally tell Patton about what he was feeling, how he didn’t feel like a noble prince but, instead, more like Gaston. How he felt like he was doing more harm than good, how he felt that he was becoming more problematic, more antagonistic. He didn’t want to feel like that or convey that he was such! Yet here he was after taking the serpent’s side despite knowing how harmful he’s been and how much damage he’s done, and hurting Patton after the guy was just trying to be a good friend and making him cookies! In fact, he was supposed to be here to say sorry to Patton for how much of a jerk he’s been and now look! He’s getting Patton to comfort him instead! Let’s just say Roman, at the realisation, broke down further and took about 10 minutes before actually telling Patton why he’d even gotten upset to begin with alongside what he made him even more upset. Patton was completely understanding as well, remaining patient and calm as Roman’s world essentially crumbled around him.

“Roman, you’re not Gaston,” Roman sniffled as Patton tried to reassure him. He turned his head towards Patton, wiping away a few tears that threatened to fall. “Gaston wasn’t just arrogant, remember? He was legitimately trying to kill Beast despite Belle saying that he was good. He locked Belle and her father up because she loved the Beast. He wasn’t just arrogant and annoying, he genuinely harassed Belle to get her to marry him! You’re nowhere near Gaston’s level of horribleness,”

“But wasn’t part of his unlikability his arrogance?”

“I mean sure but that’s only a part of it. He was also selfish, cruel, really sexist and, depending on which version you wanna focus on here, sociopathic. Roman, do you actually believe that you’re anything like that?”

Roman paused for a second but opened his mouth to counter, to which, Patton quickly cut off “And before you mention that you’re problematic, you only have the potential to be and it’s a potential that every single one of us has! You already know how Virgil can be too much how that hinders Thomas but I can become too much if I don’t reel myself in or if you guys don’t reel me in beforehand and Logan can become issue if he ever decided that Thomas should only make decisions using logic without thinking of the morality behind it, of the possible dangers that could come or even if that idea is really that creative. Roman, we can all be too much at times, you’re not any worse for being like that too,”

“What about how I’ve been kind of rude and mean towards you guys for so long?”

It took him a second but Patton eventually responded.

“Well, you’ve been getting better, haven’t you?”

Roman looked on in confusion as he watched Patton get up to grab what seemed to be photos, the first being a polaroid picture framed with white and somewhat new-looking as if they hadn’t been taken that long ago. He was quick to take a peek at them as soon as Patton had taken a seat back down on the couch, Roman’s curiosity peaked when he saw a picture of him and Virgil hanging out. Specifically, it was a picture of the time the two were having a Disney movie marathon (which was supposed to be a secret but Roman was willing to overlook that). In the picture, the pair were basically snuggled together, dead asleep but wrapped around one and other. Roman couldn’t quite remember when they’d fallen asleep but he did remember it was Virgil who conked out first. Roman only remembered that because Virgil had practically used him as a pillow and it was pretty adorable how affectionate Panic! At The Everywhere could be when he wasn’t being the angsty teenager archetype...wait, did Roman just think of Virgil as ado- Anyways!

Roman smiled down at the picture, relishing in the rather recent memories that tied in with it. Patton was right, he and Virgil had been on much better terms than they were before. If this was before the incident in July, Roman would’ve never considered ever watching Disney movies with Virgil and, even if he did, he was almost certain that Virgil would’ve been extremely reluctant to indulge in such an activity. But Virgil was pretty happy to watch movies with Roman nowadays, the emo nightmare even mentioned how it got kinda boring when he was just by himself in his room all the time and that while Patton at least tried to hang out with him as much as possible, Patton wasn’t always able to hang out with him and Logan wasn’t exactly the greatest person to hang out with. Roman was glad that their friendship had grown so much in such a relatively short period of time, it was vastly more enjoyable to have Virgil as a friend rather than a foe.

Patton then moved that picture aside to show Roman a black-framed photo of him and Logan having a friendly discussion. It was a rare occurrence, Logan usually didn’t like to indulge in Roman’s creative interests and Roman usually thought of Logan’s logical inputs as exceedingly boring. Add to the fact that both sides had a strong sense of pride (and big egos) and you have yourself a conflicting pair. However, Logan was open to some discussion when it came to ideas that could neither be proven true or false and Roman was usually the one to come up with such ideas. That's where their friendly debates usually stemmed from though Roman can recall more than a few (less friendly) debates over what flavour of Crofters came after strawberry in terms of goodness. That wasn't what this photograph was depicting though, this was a picture of Logan and Roman while they were debating over the possibility of there being a divine entity that existed and if they created the universe. Roman argued for and Logan against. It was a pretty interesting debate considering the fact that neither of them were religious (Thomas was their creator; worshipping him would be weird) and, by the end of it, Logan was commenting on how he was grateful for Roman tightening up his debate tactics and that their debates have really improved since their first few skirmishes. Roman kept his smile at the memory, putting up a mental reminder to maybe start another friendly debate.

Patton then moved the black-framed picture aside to show a white-framed photo with him and Roman playing a game with some stuffed toys Patton had gotten out. Roman's smile instantly turned into a grin as his memory became flooded with the adventures they'd created starring those old stuffed toys. One particularly vivid one was Mrs. Fluffybottom becoming a female knight and saving her bunny wife, Patches (who was one of Virgil's toys as Roman would later find out), who was made into a beautiful princess. Another one had Mrs. Fluffybottom and Patches befriending a non-binary dog named Addison who'd been trying to solve the world's most difficult puzzle and how Addison learnt to take a break every once and awhile. Another one had Addison falling in love with a cat named ~~Catton~~ ~~Neil Catrick Harris~~ Oreo (Patton was getting hungry by this point) and how the two eventually started dating. Patton and Roman had countless adventures with these characters and, after they'd finish, they suggested maybe letting Virgil and Logan in on the fun. Roman just held a grin as he stared at the sight.

Patton then moved the picture in the white frame aside to show a colourfully framed photo of them all together, a shot of them together that Roman wanted to get after they had completed an adventure of his (one he dragged them into but it all turned out for the best). Roman had been mugging for the camera, as per usual for Roman, with Patton to his right with his usual grin and Virgil to his left with a small but sincere smile and Roman's arm draped around his shoulders. Logan was on the far right of the frame with Patton grabbing his arm and a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth. He was trying to remain stoic but anyone could see that he was just as happy as everyone else in the photo. And, considering all the smiles, everyone in the photo was pretty darn happy.

Roman was beaming at the photo.

"You don't seem very rude in any of these pictures to me. Actually, you've been really nice in all of them," Roman lifted his head to look at Patton, being met with a gentle smile and soft eyes. Roman couldn't help let his eyes water with tears of gratitude, letting a few droplets fall from his eyes as he clung to Patton in thanks. He didn't say a word, neither of them did. They didn't need to. Patton wrapped his arms around Roman in return as if to silently say 'you're welcome'. Roman appreciated this, he really did and he'd honestly forgotten all about how guilty he felt for not being of more assistance to Patton. And now, even as he remembered it, he didn't allow himself to feel bad for it. If Patton wanted a favour from him, he could ask at any time. Right now, they were gonna hug and feel happy or at least content. Patton pulled away first, rather suddenly too as if he'd just been struck with a stroke of genius. he also almost gave Roman whiplash with how fast he'd pulled away but that's beside the point.

"We should get Virgil and Logan and play adventure with Mrs. Fluffybottom, Patches, Addison and Oreo again! We never really got around to Addison and Oreo's wedding, did we?" Patton asked, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes as the idea played out in his head.

"We didn't? Well, that simply will not do! Come, Patton, we must gather Virgil and Logan to form an ultimate playgroup!" Roman quickly took a stance of princely bravado, announcing their quest to his audience of one.

"Wait, will Logan really be ok with joining this?"

"I'm sure he will Patton. And if he doesn't then you could always use your puppy dog eyes on him. I'm sure that'll work. Now, away we go!"

And so the duo set off to force persuade Virgil and Logan into playing with stuffed toys with them. It was a little bit of a challenge to get Logan to stop being a killjoy for five minutes and Virgil was confused on why they had taken his stuffed bunny and why his stuffed bunny was married to Roman's stuffed bunny and what kind of connotations that was supposed to have (the answer was none, no correlations to be made about that at all now stop giggling Patton-) but the game itself was fun and all four thoroughly enjoyed their game of make-believe (yes, even Logan).

And so ends another story in a series of four. And so ends the tale of the cracked crown that was fixed by the healing heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, you read that right, there will be one more of these fics before I officially end this series. Just be patient with me until then, it might take a while for me to write the last fic


End file.
